I hear you, Paladin, I learned mount escapes first class. I can get out from under mount consistantly, but I get pinned from side control.

And it's not just that opponent's are larger. They are much stronger. I'm about 175, 6'2''. but I have very little arm strength (TKD doesn't exactly foster upper-body muscles) so I have to rely on technique on the ground. All my opponents end up being huge guys that are about 20 or 30 years older than me and stronger and bigger, so I really can't muscle them off of me.

I'll ask my instructor about side escapes next chance I get. Good responses though, thanks everyone.

if somebody has 100 lbs on you and has a decent pin, you are going to have a lot of trouble getting out. especially if you have a gi on.

try pushing their head down toward your legs. then triangle their head. you probably wont be able to triangle them, but its a good distraction. while doing this, buck and shrimp toward them. then go into full guard.

On top, Put your forearm across his throat and grab his collarbone to create leverage on his throat as you drive your elbow up. On bottom bump your hips and pop in your elbow in across their hip. Roll towards him to get him centered on your elbow, putting your base on that shoulder so you don't have to muscle it. This will create space for you to pop your knee in and shrimp back to full guard.

I'm also a newbie BJJ white belt and I have problems with this same issue, getting pinned under side control by a huge guy. I have been told to create space if possible and get them back into guard. However, often I get pinned after the guy gets an underhook on my far arm and then sort of hugs me, covering my face, and sometimes trapping my arms under him. Really sucks. Shrimping and bridging don't do anything against that. I've tried pushing on his neck/chin and it doesn't do a whole lot. I too would be interested in some more responses.

First off, as he passes dont let him get the far underhook.Cause you can only get back in the match safter he does if he makes a mistake.
But ok, you did give it up and he is tight, so your stuck arm cant push him to create space to get the underhook.
You then have to use your other arm.
Your elbow should be under his belly, your hand is coming his head side hip.
Now you can push him away and slide your knee under him to get guard.

Other things to try.
Your stuck out arm can reach deep looking for his belt.
Now you drive into him, as he drives back you roll back onto your far shoulder and tru to spin yopur head under him.Thats a common reversal in judo, it leaves you on top.
But vs bigger guys it's not easy.
So try this.
Your left arm is stuck out,So slide your right arm under his waist and grab his pants by his right knee.
Lift his leg up and drop it over your right leg for half guard.

I find that escaping a solid side control is one of the most difficult things in BJJ. My guard game improved 100x when I realized the amount of stuff you can do to avoid getting held in a solid pin, and you have already gotten advice on that from posters far more skilled than I. There's a huge difference between a half-assed pin and a stable side control, and one of the things that separates the good from the bad is to what degree you are able to actually get that pin. For example, in my club we do a drill where one guy holds down another in side control for 30s and the other one tries to escape. I've managed to hold down guys that are much better than me. However, I can never pin them in sparring, because they never let me get that amount of control in the first place!

I always keep in mind what a brazilian black belt (Robert Drysdale, I think, the new BB -91kg mundials champion) said during a seminar when someone asked for the best escape from the back: "learn what you have to do to not end up there".

However, if I actually do end up in a good side control that I'm not able to escape, I just chill and wait for them to create space. They're going to have to when they go for subs or the mount. That is when I attempt my escape.

Last edited by PoleFighter; 9/09/2005 2:58am at .

I pointed at him [the panhandler], bringing my rear hand up in a subtle approximation of the double Wu Sau guard that is the default hand position in Wing Chun Kung Fu.

However, if I actually do end up in a good side control that I'm not able to escape, I just chill and wait for them to create space. They're going to have to when they go for subs or the mount. That is when I attempt my escape.

Yeah, in my last sparring the opponent didn't do anything except kept me down. I reckon he has some wrestling experience in prior since he just pushed me over so easily, using his head as well.

I even waved my other hand like "hey, go for the kimura" but no, he just held on.

If you are under someone in side control and need to escape try this. Assuming your hand nearest your opponents (opp hereafter) head is free, grab his collar at the back of his neck. If it's no-gi, place your forearm or wrist on his throat. Your other hand should be on his hip, the one nearest your head-

(HUGE EDIT, the hip nearest your head not the legs, damn, this is why I seldom try to answer these questions. Even if I know an applicable answer, I usually mange to screw up my description).

-Push his head up and away while simultaneously bridging up on your neck. Look up to facilitate the bridge. The microsecond you start coming back down from your bridge shove your knee (the one closest to your opp.) as far toward his far hip as possible. Pull down and across your body on the collar so he cannot raise up to go for knee on stomach and to help get your other hooking foot inside to get back to guard. This is similar to what KumaOni suggested with a few additions. Good luck.

If you are under someone in side control and need to escape try this. Assuming your hand nearest your opponents (opp hereafter) head is free, grab his collar at the back of his neck. If it's no-gi, place your forearm or wrist on his throat. Your other hand should be on his hip, the one nearest your legs. Push his head up and away while simultaneously bridging up on your neck. Look up to facilitate the bridge. The microsecond you start coming back down from your bridge shove your knee (the one closest to your opp.) as far toward his far hip as possible. Pull down and across your body on the collar so he cannot raise up to go for knee on stomach and to help get your other hooking foot inside to get back to guard. This is similar to what KumaOni suggested with a few additions. Good luck.

Does that work on both the overclasp and underclasp? With the overclasp, the opponent's arm is usually blocking my knee and hips, other arm is blocking my head. Only way I can move is to the bottom of the north south...which isn't pretty.